Bono optimistic about 'Spider-Man' musical future

From left, recording artists The Edge, Bono, Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton attend a screening of "Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom" hosted by U2 and Anna Wintour on Monday, Nov. 25, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)

NEW YORK (AP)  U2 frontman Bono feels optimistic that his musical, "Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark" will continue to thrive after the show turns the lights out on Broadway early next year.

"When you think of the difficult birth that we had with 'Turn Off the Dark,'" he said, "it's worked out so well."

"Three hugely successful years, and then it's off to Germany, it's off to Las Vegas," Bono said Monday night on the red carpet for "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom."

U2 contributed to the film's soundtrack with "Ordinary Love." It's the band first new song in three years and it plays at the end of the movie.

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Bono and Edge also wrote the music for "Spider-Man."

By the time it closes, more than 2 million people will have seen it. But the musical had a tumultuous run, including six delayed opening nights, numerous injuries to the cast, and the publicized firing of director Julie Taymor. It was also Broadway's most expensive show, costing around $75 million.

"It was a lot more expensive than it should have been, but in the long term it will ... do very, very well," he said.

The musical turns off its light at the Foxwoods Theater on Jan. 4.

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Follow AP Entertainment producer John Carucci on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jacarucci